Town and JIPSD Sign MOU for Tax Credits

At the end of January, the JIPSD Commission voted 7 to 1 to approve a Memorandum of Understanding  (MOU) with the Town to work towards having the Town pay the JIPSD for a portion of the cost of providing fire protection and solid waste collection services to the residents of the Town in exchange for the JIPSD allowing the Town to provide a credit against the property taxes levied by the JIPSD in the Town's area of jurisdiction.   Town Council also voted 4 to 1 to authorize the agreement.

Representatives of the Town and the JIPSD met in late February.   The JIPSD Commission had approved joint representation of  both the Town and the JIPSD by the Pope-Flynn law firm.   The Commission Chair and Secretary and I signed a joint representation agreement.  Also at that meeting he JIPSD's acting general attorney recommended that the MOU be shortened.   That task was completed and the shortened document approved.  Commission Chair Alan Laughlin and I signed the MOU this week.

Our joint attorney approached the Charleston County Auditor in early March.   The Auditor will be responsible for modifying the tax bills going out in jurisdiction of the Town so that the credit will reduce the amount paid by Town taxpayers to the County Treasurer and so the amount paid over to the JIPSD.   The Auditor's office is working on the necessary modifications in its computer software and the County legal staff is reviewing the proposal. 

Town Council held its public hearing for the 2019-2020 budget   I asked for  $1 million for fire protection and solid waste collection services.   It passed first reading on a 4 to 1 vote.   Second and final reading will be at the Town's May meeting.   The tax credits will result in a 30% reduction in what Town homeowners pay in JIPSD property tax and an overall 15% property tax cut.

Our attorney from Pope-Flynn is developing the Cost-Sharing agreement.   Two important items to be setting is when and how the payments will be made by the Town to the JIPSD and also the amount of an "administration fee" to be paid by the Town to the JIPSD for the cost of administering the agreement.   The Cost Sharing Agreement will return to the JIPSD Commission and Town Council for approval.  We are still on schedule for tax credits to appear on the property tax bills going out in October.

Why Not Wait a Little--Riverland Terrace May Soon Have a Choice

Should Riverland Terrace join the City of Charleston? Some may think that it is the answer to the periodic tree trimming that the neighborhood has suffered through the years.   As part of its franchise agreement with the City of Charleston, Dominion (formerly SCE&G) keeps funds available for nonstandard power service, including burying power lines. 

The Town also has a franchise agreement with Dominion and is looking into burying some power lines on James Island--on Folly Road between Ellis Creek and Eugene Gibbs Drive (near Chick-Fil-A.) It is part of the ReThink Folly Road project which will require moving some power lines to construct the planned sidewalk.  The estimated cost was $60,000 per pole, with half of the cost coming from the Town's nonstandard service fund with Dominion, requiring that the Town come up with an additional $30,000 per pole.  (Because the cost of moving the poles, which is $10,000, will be covered as part of the overall project expense, the Town needs approximately $20,000 extra per pole.)  We also discovered that not only must the property owners provide an easement to place boxes, there will also be a cost to connecting to the service--from $10,000 to $15,000 depending on the age of the building.   Mount Pleasant took years to finally get underground service along Coleman Boulevard.    The total cost for this one segment on the west side of Folly Road was more than $1 million with likely delays of several years if all of the lines must be buried.   At best we can afford to do part.  I think it is likely that most of the poles will be moved rather than buried though we hope that some portion of the lines in the area will be placed underground soon. We will be reviewing our Town's development standards so that as Folly Road businesses are redeveloped over the years,  putting the power lines under ground will be required as part of redevelopment.

Will the City of Charleston consider newly annexed houses in Riverland Terrace the priority over the entire City of Charleston for using monies from their  nonstandard service fund with Dominion?   And that is just 50% of the cost.   Will City Council expend money from its general fund for the match?   Maybe, but there are plenty of neighborhoods in the City that are likely to feel that their power lines should go underground first, if that is the new policy.

This year the JIPSD increased its property tax in the the Town and unincorporated area by 13%.   While the total millage in the unincorporated area is still lower than in the City of Charleston, the City's LOST property tax credit brings down the tax bill for a homeowner so that it is 3% less than what is paid by those in the JIPSD.  But that is just this year.  Charleston City Council has increased its property tax millage so that next year, homeowners in the City will be back to paying more property tax than those in the unincorporated area and in the Town. 

Further, just last November, the voters of the Town and unincorporated area, including Riverland Terrace, voted in three new JIPSD Commissioners.   I think it is very likely that there will be some roll back of the JIPSD millage increase.  Further, the new majority on the Commission is working on an agreement with the Town to provide a credit against JIPSD property tax.   I am confident that this will be complete by the time next year's tax bills come out in October.   As a result, while the total millage in the Town will only be slightly lower than in the City of Charleston, after the Town credits are applied, a homeowner will pay 31% less in the Town than in the City of Charleston! (The Town provides a 100% credit against its own property tax millage.)

What good does that do for those in Riverland Terrance?   Everyone in the unincorporated area of Riverland Terrace was in the Town in 2011.   We want you back.   And the Town has been pursuing legislation in Columbia that will make that possible.   HB 3661 passed the House Judiciary Committee unanimously.   It is now going to the Senate Judiciary Committee.   Representative McCoy is confident it will pass the full House.   To become law, it must also pass the South Carolina Senate and be signed by the Governor.   After that, the process to return the unincorporated area of James Island, including Riverland Terrace, to the Town of James Island can begin.

If Riverland Terrace rejoins the Town, homeowners will be able to receive Town tax credits and so have substantially lower property taxes.   More importantly, you only have to look across Maybank Highway to see how the City has seen development on James Island.   The only City Councilwoman who lives on James Island tried to get a moratorium in areas on James Island prone to flooding.  Lost at City Council.  In my opinion, the City has improved on development issues recently.  Will that last?  The Town has never allowed that kind of density.    The Town will protect your neighborhood.

The Town has been very successful in leveraging our limited funds to promote projects that improve our quality of life on James Island.  Look at where the new sidewalks have come in over the last five years.   It is important to have a local government focused on our Island.

Riverland Terrace will play a much more important role as part of our small James Island community than as just one of the  hundreds of neighborhoods in the City of Charleston.   The City of Charleston has huge sources of revenue, but they also have massive expenses.   Just last year, the Town approached the City of Charleston about improved crosswalks on Folly at Camp and also at Eugene Gibbs.   They agreed.   We paid our $60,000.   The City couldn't follow through and come up with their smaller share of  the money. 

My advice to those in Riverland Terrace and in the rest of the unincorporated area is to be patient.  If you annex to the City, then you won't be able to change your mind.   Wait a bit, see what develops, and make a decision when you may well have a choice.

Update of Town's Sidewalk Planning Map

The Town has had a sidewalk planning map since 2014.   It was last updated in 2017.   Here is the most recent version.

 Its focus is on Town initiatives, but it includes other James Island projects as well.   The green lines are existing sidewalks, though sidewalks interior to some of the newer neighborhoods are not included.   These are sidewalks along primary and secondary roads.    The blue lines represent approved sidewalks.  Funding has been identified, and they are in the process of final design, permitting, bid for construction, or construction.  The purple lines represent sidewalks where a conceptual study has been done.  This involves an engineering firm looking at the segment and determining feasible options and some estimate of cost.   Finally, the orange lines represent areas where there are plans for sidewalks or multi-use paths, but no engineering has been completed, even at a conceptual level.

The major updates since 2017 are that Phase I of the sidewalk on Dills Bluff is now complete as is the Seaside Lane sidewalk.  The Dills Bluff sidewalk was funded by the Town along with some money from the State.  (Thank you Representative Peter McCoy.)  The Seaside Lane project was funded by the Town along with a grant from Charleston County's Transportation Sales Tax.    The Town managed the Dills Bluff project and construction for the Seaside Lane project was managed by Charleston County.

The boardwalk that will complete Phase I on Dills Bluff is in the approved category, but design and permitting are complete and the construction bid has been approved.  It should be complete within a couple of months.   The boardwalk project is being managed and funded by the Town.

On Folly Road, the sidewalks and bike lanes for the Camp and Folly improvement project are complete.  That project was managed by Charleston County and funded by its Transportation Sales Tax. 

The conceptual plan for sidewalks from Ellis Creek to Eugene Gibbs that the Town developed has moved to the "approved" category.  Funding has been identified and design is being completed with construction likely in 2020.   What was a "future plan" for a sidewalk continuing to the south on Folly is now also in the approved category ending at Pittsford Street (or perhaps George Griffith.)    These segments make up  "Phase I" of the Rethink Folly project, and it is being managed by Charleston County and funded by the Town of James Island, the City of Charleston, Charleston County, and a complete streets grant of federal money provided by the Council of Governments.

There are three other phases of the Rethink Folly Road project.  The Rethink Folly Road Steering Committee has recommended a multi-use path continuing to the south all the way to the City of Folly Beach.  Given the work done by Charleston County and its consultant, the Revere Group, it is now rated as a "conceptual plan" rather than a future plan.

The conceptual plan to complete the sidewalk on Camp Road to Riverland has been shifted to "approved status."   The project is being managed by Charleston County and the sidewalks will be completed from Folly Road to Riverland Drive and then along Riverland Drive to the County Park and the Senior Center.     The project is funded by the County's Transportation Sales Tax.

The Town initiated a project to complete the sidewalk on Quail Drive to the Recreation Center.   That now has approved status.   Funding has been identified and design is being completed.   It is partially funded by Transportation Sales Tax money along with Town money with the project managed by Charleston County.   We hope it will be completed this summer.

The Lighthouse Blvd project has moved from conceptual plan to approved status.   The project is currently in design and permitting.   The County is managing the project.  The Town is contributing funding but it is now a Transportation Sales Tax Project.   We hope to see construction in 2020.

We at the Town are kept well informed regarding projects in and around our area of jurisdiction.   That is yellow area of the map.   We do put information regarding projects in various stages of development in other areas of James Island.